empire state building climbers: 7 wild details about the proposal stunt that shut down NYC
A couple’s marriage proposal became one of the strangest security incidents in New York City this year. The empire state building climbers, identified as Ivan Kuznetsov and Angelina Nikolau, snuck into one of the world’s most famous skyscrapers, climbed past every security barrier, and got engaged roughly 1,450 feet above Manhattan. Here is everything that happened.
how the empire state building climbers actually got in
The plan behind the empire state building climbers began the night before the stunt. According to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News New York, Kuznetsov and Nikolau purchased tickets to the building on Tuesday and secretly remained inside after closing, hiding overnight.
At approximately 5 a.m. Wednesday, security cameras captured the pair going through a hatch on the 102nd floor — the highest floor open to the general public, home to an enclosed observation deck. From there, the empire state building climbers broke through a locked security door on the restricted 104th floor, which provides access to the building’s broadcast antenna. According to the criminal complaint, they used tools to loosen brackets on the door to access a stairwell not open to visitors.
the climb and the banner
Once inside the restricted access point, the empire state building climbers ascended the transmission tower itself — the spire that sits atop the building’s main structure, extending the total height to 1,454 feet. This is well beyond where any authorized visitor is permitted to go; the public observation deck sits at 1,250 feet.
At the top, the pair unfurled a black banner with white lettering that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” The moment was captured by onlookers below and circulated rapidly on social media as an NBC New York helicopter circled overhead to document the scene.
the proposal that made headlines
What separates the empire state building climbers from typical trespassing incidents is what happened next. As they began their descent, one of the two paused on a lower platform of the spire. Kuznetsov got down on one knee and appeared to propose to Nikolau. She said yes. The two embraced and kissed, with the city sprawled beneath them.
Nikolau later posted photos from the climb on Instagram, including an image of her engagement ring with the New York skyline visible in the background.
why nypd couldn’t reach them immediately
The empire state building climbers created a genuine safety complication for law enforcement, not just a public spectacle. Because the antenna the couple climbed actively transmits high-frequency radio and television signals for local broadcast stations, NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit could not safely approach them until the antenna was completely powered down.
That process took approximately 30 minutes. Once cleared, officers climbed over 1,250 feet, wearing hard hats and additional safety equipment, navigating the same restricted stairwell the couple had used, before intercepting them on their way down. Police bodycam footage later released by the NYPD showed the moment officers took the pair into custody at the top of the structure.
A former CBS New York chief broadcast engineer noted the climbers had also potentially exposed themselves to dangerous levels of radio-frequency radiation and electrical energy during the ascent.
who the empire state building climbers actually are
This was not the first high-profile climb for Kuznetsov and Nikolau. The empire state building climbers are known online by the names Ivan Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, and are the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary titled “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which follows the couple’s history of unauthorized “rooftopping” climbs on some of the tallest structures in the world.
According to Netflix’s own description, the documentary depicts the pair as “daredevil influencers” who “risk their romance, freedom and lives to climb a mega-skyscraper.” Their prior climbs, documented in the film, include the 1,955-foot Goldin Finance 117 tower in Tianjin, China, and Malaysia’s 2,227-foot Merdeka 118, one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Prosecutors described the pair in court as social media influencers who engage in extreme risk-taking behavior, including breaking into restricted areas of commercial buildings and free-climbing skyscrapers without safety equipment.
the criminal charges they now face
The empire state building climbers were arraigned Thursday, one day after the stunt, on a combination of felony and misdemeanor charges. According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the charges include felony burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief, along with misdemeanor charges of possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct.
Under New York law, the felony charges filed are not bail-eligible, meaning the couple was released under court supervision rather than held. They are due back in court August 24.
Their attorney, Jason Krinsky, pushed back on the severity of the charges after the arraignment, telling reporters the district attorney’s office had “overcharged” the case. “They are trying to send a message,” Krinsky said. “As far as what I’ve seen, and I’m sure you have all seen, it was a message of love. You know, that’s a nice thing.”
the broader context this happened in
The empire state building climbers stunt landed during what has already been one of the most chaotic summers in recent New York City memory. The incident occurred weeks after the New York Knicks’ first championship in 53 years triggered raucous celebrations across the city, amid heightened NYPD presence for World Cup matches being hosted in the region, and just ahead of the anticipated Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding expected at Madison Square Garden.
The Empire State Building’s management called the climb “unauthorized” in a public statement but notably did not lean fully into condemnation, with the building’s own social media account posting that it offered “a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals” a lightly self-aware response to a security breach that could have ended very differently.
Kuznetsov himself explained his reasoning simply to detectives following his arrest, telling them he wanted to “do something special” for the engagement. Leaving court Thursday, he offered reporters an even shorter explanation for the entire ordeal: “We believe in love.”
Sources: CBS News New York, NBC News, CNN, Time, ABC News, Fox News July 1 to 2, 2026
